Two students have landed places in what is reckoned to be the most prized university placement programme in Scotland – working with space rocket firm Skyrora.
Bethany Taylor and David King, who were selected from more than 100 applicants, will be based at Skyrora’s production facility outside Edinburgh – supporting the company’s aim to help Scotland to become a key player in the UK’s space race programme.
David, an Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Sheffield and Bethany, a Mechanical Engineering student at University of Edinburgh, have joined Skyrora’s technical team – supporting manufacturing, vehicle launches and more Skyrora XL stage testing.
Both David and Bethany will play a part in assisting Skyrora to achieve its goals for 2021.
Bethany said: “I am really looking forward to learning about how the business is run and having the chance to work on different projects, using the knowledge that I have learnt at university, on real life projects within Skyrora.”
David added: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the team at Skyrora, who are getting the UK back into space. It will be a great chance to push myself and learn from all the talented individuals who work here.”
The UK space industry now employs close to 42,000 people across the country and generates an income of nearly £15 billion every year. Scotland’s space industry is made up of 130+ companies, and it already employs more than 7,500 people.
Skyrora – through a range of important breakthroughs, including successful test launches and pioneering an eco liquid-fuel – has established itself as the UK’s leading private rocket company, supporting the burgeoning small satellite market. It aims to launch its first rocket – the Skyrora XL – from a UK site in 2023.
Skyrora’s Graduate Placement Programme is highly regarded by UK Universities as a vital pathway to help propel young engineering talent into the rapidly developing space sector.
Dr Jack James Marlow, Head of Engineering at Skyrora said: “2021 will be another important year for Skyrora as we move towards our first launch – an event that also will be of huge significance to the UK’s space industry ambitions.
“But to achieve our goal – and continue to support the focus on space as a growth sector in both Scotland and the UK – it’s vital we continue to engage with universities to forge and develop the new talent of the future.
“With 100+ applications, Skyrora’s placement programme has seen major interest from all over Europe.”
Skyrora offers technical positions for students at the start of each year, as well as summer internships. Students interested in participating in Skyrora’s student programme or are looking for further information, please see the website for further details: www.skyrora.com/career.
